LeBron James

LeBron James plays for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. His superstardom is hard to overstate: at 17 he was fetured on the cover of Sports Illustrated; at 19 he became the youngest Rookie of the Year in NBA history; at 23 he is the third highest paid athlete in the world (including endorsements) after Tiger Woods and David Beckham. He is only the third man (and the first African-American man) to appear on the cover of Vogue. He has hosted Saturday Night Live, graced Oprah's stage, and appeared on the cover of Fortune. At this writing, his Cavaliers have the third best record in the NBA and hold a commanding lead in their Division.

Buzz Bissinger wrote what is widely held to be the best and bestselling book about high school sports ever—Friday Night Lights. That work has sold over 2 million copies to date and spawned a film and TV series. His other books include A Prayer for the City and the New York Times bestseller Three Nights in August. He is a contributing writer for Vanity Fair.